


Plus One

by WaltzofFury



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:22:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26942083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaltzofFury/pseuds/WaltzofFury
Summary: "Their relationship ended years ago; she should be over him. But part of her continues to hold onto the hope that one day he will realize his mistake and come running back. By opening the envelope, she is admitting to herself the relationship really is over, and that is not something she is strong enough to handle."When Bayley gets an invitation to her old love's wedding, her heart breaks all over again. With the help of her friends, follow Bayley's journey towards the wedding as she finds herself and new love along the way. This story will feature a love triangle between Finn Balor, Bayley & Seth Rollins, ultimately ending with who Bayley decides to make her Plus One for the wedding.
Relationships: Bayley | Davina Rose/Seth Rollins | Tyler Black, Finn Balor | Prince Devitt/Bayley | Davina Rose
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys! As a note, the story has some time jumps, which are easy for me to follow because I am writing the story, but if they get too hard to follow let me know so I can try to clarify things better. Also, the timeline may not be 100% accurate to real life events. I switched some things up to make it fit for the story. It starts slow because the first few chapters focus on character building, developing the relationships between Bayley and the major players in the story, and establishing the timeline/explaining how we got to the present in the story. Just stick with me! 
> 
> It is my first time publishing a story on here so I hope you enjoy! I want to say I will be quick with the updates, but I do not want to promise anything. Anyway, onward to the story!

Chapter One: The Envelope

_Then._

_Two hours and six outfits later, Bayley is finally ready. As usual, she decided on the first outfit she tried on; a form fitting black dress with a low back and a slit up the left side. Her hair is pulled up into a loose bun and her makeup is done naturally, expect for her lips which are stained bright red. This isn’t her first date with her boyfriend Gabe. Or even the second. The two have been going out for three years, but tonight is going to be special. Bayley’s gut is telling her tonight is going to be the night he gets down on one knee and asks her to be his forever. She glances down at her nails. She didn’t figure it out in time to get them done professionally, but she had her best friend manicure them. Not ideal, but it will suffice. There is a knock at the door, and she takes one last look in the mirror, before smiling to herself, grabbing her purse, and answering it._

Now.

“What are you looking at?” Bayley jumps as the suddenness of the words bring her back to reality. She hadn’t realized she drifted off; that her focus was solely on the envelope she was currently clutching with both hands. The envelope she cannot force herself to open because she knows what is inside. Their relationship ended years ago; she should be over him. But part of her continues to hold onto the hope that one day he will realize his mistake and come running back. By opening the envelope, she is admitting to herself the relationship really is over, and that is not something she is strong enough to handle. It took her awhile after the breakup to pick herself back up, although she is still not fully healed. Without speaking, she hands the envelope to her roommate and best friend, Sasha.

“Why did they send you this? You do not have to go you know. I will just take the envelope and throw it in the trash. We’ll never have to look at it.” As she spoke the words, she knew they were doing nothing to comfort her friend. They could pretend to be oblivious all they wanted, but that did not mean the truth was not real. Gabe, the love of her life, is marrying another woman. The idea angered Sasha. Not because he moved on, she did not expect him to be alone forever, regardless of Bayley’s fantasy that he would one day return to her. But because he was rubbing his happiness in her best friend’s face by inviting her.

“We’re friends Sasha. You invite friends to your wedding.” And that was true. After some time had passed, and her heart began to mend, the two began talking again. They would never be as close as they once were, but Bayley quickly realized during the time Gabe was not in her life that a piece of her was missing. Even if he no longer loved her, she loved him and needed him in her life. Even if it hurt too much knowing that she could not touch him. That she would never feel his lips on hers again. She knew this moment would come one day. She just thought she would have more time to prepare for it.

“So, you want to go?” Sasha can read Bayley like a book. It isn’t too hard. She wears her heart on her sleeve and her emotions on her face. The frown currently occupying her face is an imposter, replacing her usual bright smile. Her eyebrows are scrunched in thought, leaving wrinkles on her forehead. Sasha can hear her overthinking. Receiving the invitation meant Gabe wanted her there, and all she wants is to be wanted by him. She would do anything to make him happy, even if it meant torturing herself and ripping the weak stitches already piecing her heart together. She would go. She may not immediately agree, but in the end, Gabe would get what he wanted. He always did when it came to Bayley.

“I – I don’t know,” she mumbles, running her fingers through her hair as she sighs in frustration. “Will you go with me? I don’t know if I can do it alone.”

“Sweetie, you know that I will,” Sasha speaks gently as she wraps her arms around her friend in a backwards hug. “Who else is going to make fun of the drunken groomsmen hitting on all the bridesmaids with you?” Bayley laughs. Sasha smiles. “Are you ready to open it?” She asks as she fiddles with the envelope still in her hands. If she had gotten her way, the thing would already be in the garbage.

“Not yet.” She wishes she were. That she was stronger. She hates feeling weak and vulnerable. Having feelings for someone she knows does not return them. She notices Sasha start heading for the trash can and puts a hand up telling her to stop. “But I will be. Do not throw it away. Just...” a pause “hang it on the fridge for now.”

“I can do that,” Sasha speaks as she grabs a random magnet from the fridge and sticks the envelope to it. “I’m hungry, what about you? Chinese?” Before Bayley can answer she picks up the phone and dials the number for their favorite delivery place, hoping to bring a little happiness to her friend.

_Then._

_There’s a knock at her front door. The clock on the opposite wall alerts Sasha that it is 7:33pm. “The pizza’s early,” she mumbles to herself before reaching into her purse to grab a $20 bill. She opens the door expecting to see Brian, the young ginger with a face full of acne who usually delivers her pizza, but instead she is face to face with Bayley. Her makeup is running down her face, but she can’t tell whether it is from tears or the rain. The sound of a car horn causes Sasha to switch her gaze from her best friend to the taxi parked in her driveway._

_“Do you have $20?” Bayley speaks for the first time. Her voice clears up Sasha’s uncertainty; the smudged makeup is the result of her tears. “I don’t have enough to pay the driver.” Looking down at the $20 bill in her hand to pay Brian, she quickly makes her way past Bayley, paying the impatient driver, and forcing Bayley into her house on her way back in. She removes her friend’s coat and leads her over to the couch farthest from the window. “I’m sorry I didn’t know where else to go.”_

_“What happened Bayley?” Sasha is confused. Tonight, is supposed to be the happiest night of Bayley’s life. Sasha expected her to show up in tears, but these were not tears of happiness. That’s when she caught sight of Bayley’s bare left hand._

_“He left me.” The tears started again._

Now.

The next few days go by in a blur, because so much of them are spent traveling. Summer Slam is coming up and other than March, due to WrestleMania, it is the busiest time of year. There are always promotions, interviews, and commercials to be done along with their regular travel schedule. This time around, Bayley finds herself more grateful than usual for the grueling schedule. She will not admit it to Sasha, even though she is certain she already subconsciously knows. If she were home alone in their apartment she would probably be crying and staring non-stop at the envelope on the fridge, debating on whether or not she was ready to open it. Constantly staying busy allows her mind to be elsewhere, temporarily freeing her from the heartache.

“I spy with my little eye,” Bayley groans as the words leave Sasha’s mouth, “something green.”

“Are we really doing this?” She tries to sound annoyed but there’s a small smile forcing its way onto her lips.

“Yes, I can tell you are in your head. Something green.”

“Okay!”

“They don’t call me the boss for no reason. Now guess.”

“That blade of glass right there?” Sasha shakes her head. She knows where Bayley is going with this. “Well what about that blade of grass?” She points to some random place out the window that is long gone by the time Sasha turns to briefly look at her from the driver’s seat.

“No Bayley. If you aren’t going to try I…”

“Alright, alright let me think.” There’s a moment of silence while Bayley pretends to look around the car. And Sasha already knows what she’s going to say before she opens her mouth to speak. “What about that one?” Both women burst into laughter. Goal accomplished.

The remainder of the ride happens in silence and Bayley waits in the car while Sasha goes to the front desk to check them in. “Breathe,” she reminds herself as she takes deep breaths in and out. “There you go.” She sits back to relax in the seat and lets out a blood curdling scream when she hears a knock on the window. Her heart pounding in her chest, she turns to see Sasha standing outside the window waiving the room key around, laughing like an idiot. “Really?” Bayley questions as she gets out the car.

“I’m sorry but you should have seen your face!” She stops laughing long enough to replicate the face she made before she erupts in another fit of laughter. She heads towards the back of the car, opens the trunk, and starts unloading her luggage.

“You’re lucky I didn’t piss myself. I would love you trying to explain that to the rental company.” It’s then Bayley’s turn to grab her luggage before slamming the trunk door closed.

“It would have been worth it.” They walk side by side to the front door and make their way through the lobby to the elevator, pulling their hoods over their heads, hoping there were no fans there to notice them. The elevator dinged.

“Oh my gosh! Is that Sasha and Bayley?” Someone yelled in the distance before they could step inside. So close. But then realization hit her. It wasn’t a fan. She could recognize that Irish accent anywhere.

_Then._

_“Can you switch me, please?” Bayley whines as she pouts and crosses her arms over her chest. She probably resembles a five-year-old begging its parents for money for the ice cream truck, but she doesn’t care. The pout works; especially on him. It’s how she successfully convinced him to pay for dinner and spend last night playing PlayStation with her._

_“Why? What’s wrong with that bed?” He is sprawled across the bed furthest from the door, his left leg dangling over the edge and his arms resting behind his head. The two have an autograph signing tomorrow to promote NXT and to save money, the company only booked one room. He’s not complaining though; they probably would have requested to share regardless because they hate being bored alone. Both of them together is guaranteed fun._

_“Nothing. I just like sleeping by the air conditioner. The noise and cool air help me fall asleep.” It isn’t a complete lie. She can’t sleep when she’s hot. But her desire to have the bed next to the air conditioner comes more from the hope that it will drown out her crying. It’s been a month since that horrid night and she still can’t fall asleep without crying. And since having him hear her cry is not on her to do list, she needs the bed next to the air conditioner. Worried that she still hasn’t done enough to convince him to switch her, she pouts again._

_“I’m not moving. The only way you’re getting this bed is if you steal it from me.” So that’s what she does. In a split second he finds himself lying flat on the floor staring up at the ceiling. “I hate you,” he laughs as he gets up and climbs into the unoccupied bed._

_Later that night, when he hears crying come from the women in the bed next to him, he realizes why she wanted it. He silently curses himself for being a dick and not just giving it to her._

Now.

“Oh my gosh is that Finn Balor?” She screeches in a high-pitched voice before turning around and engulfing the man in a hug. She misses him. The two are currently on separate brands so they rarely see each other, except in passing.

“You know we’re the only ones, here right? You don’t have to be in character.” As he speaks, he pulls her closer.

“Shut up,” she laughs at she removes her arms from around his waist and smacks him on the shoulder.

“Ow.” Finn smiles while rubbing his shoulder. “What are you doing here Smackdown baby? You aren’t on RAW.”

“I know. I just felt like traveling and keeping my girl Sasha here company.” She opens up her arms as if showcasing her best friend like a trophy.

“Hi Finn.” Sasha smiles, being acknowledged for the first time since Bayley turned her attention to Finn. It is nice seeing her face temporarily light up. Since she received the letter a few days ago, smiles have been few and far between. If anyone other than her can bring a smile to Bayley’s face, she isn’t surprised it is Finn. She isn’t sure how close the demon and the hugger are now, but the two were inseparable when they were in NXT together. Gabe always thought there was something more between them and it led to many fights between him and Bayley. Sasha had the same thought once or twice, but she knew Bayley loved Gabe too much to even look at another man. However, seeing them interact now, with Bayley as a single woman, she was seeing them from a new perspective. Maybe Gabe wasn’t as crazy as she originally thought.

“Hi Sasha,” he replies as he turns his attention away from Bayley to give The Boss’ shoulder a squeeze. He sees her every Monday. No need for an excited hug. “Do you guys need help with those?” He points towards their luggage currently located next to the elevator door. Before they can answer, he picks up a bag, which happens to be Bayley’s, and pushes the up arrow. “I’m heading up anyway. It’s no trouble.” This time when the elevator dings, they all enter.

Bayley and Sasha’s room is on the fifth floor; one floor directly below his. The room is a decent size. There are two beds, a mini fridge and microwave, and a large bathroom located next to the entrance. He sits the luggage down on the bed farthest from the door and closest to the window knowing that is the one Bayley will take. Finn notices Sasha raise her eyebrows at him, and he just shrugs in response. He doesn’t owe her an explanation. 

Sensing the awkward tension begin to form in the room, Finn makes his way over the door. “Well I’ll let you guys get settled. I’m literally right above you,” he points to the ceiling, “so don’t be loud.”

“We can’t make any promises.” It’s Bayley who speaks. She smiles softly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ears. She didn’t realize how much she missed having him around until he was almost out the door. Not wanting him to leave quite yet, she forces herself to say something. Anything. “Well, uh, thanks for helping us with our bags.” She scratches the back of her neck.

“Us?” Sasha scoffs. “I had to carry up my own.”

“And you made it didn’t you?” Finn loves teasing the boss. From his NXT days and conversations with Bayley he knows just how to push her buttons. And he does every Monday night.

“Don’t start with me Finn.” She laughs. “And even though it was great seeing you, out.” When he doesn’t budge, she repeats herself, louder this time. “Out! I need my beauty sleep.”

“Yes. Yes, you do.” Finn is out the door before the pillow Sasha throws can make contact.

“What was that about?” Sasha asks as she gets into bed closest to the door, flipping off the light located between their beds.

“What was what about?” Bayley smiles as she covers herself up with her blanket.

“Good night, Bayley.” It was too late to play this game with her. But come morning, she’s asking her questions and she’s getting answers.


	2. The Reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He should have known. Gabe is the only person with enough power over her to make her lose her smile. Remembering how upset she was when he broke up with her, his grip on his fork involuntarily tightens. If he ever sees him again, he is going to kick his ass. Realizing Bayley is just staring at him because he hasn’t spoken, he opens his mouth to comfort her but is interrupted by a timid “Excuse me” coming from behind him. Observing the way Bayley’s face miraculously transforms into a smile he knows it is a small child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween everyone!  
> Enter Seth.

**Chapter Two: The Reason**

_Then._

_“I don’t understand,” she mumbles trying to hold back her tears. “What did I do? Is it something I did?” Her voice is louder now. Everyone in the restaurant, except the one person’s attention she needs, is looking at her. “If you’re going to end things the least you can do is look me in the eye and give me an explanation!” The restaurant is quiet now. Everyone is curious about his reasons. He still doesn’t look up._

_“I can’t look at you. Because if I do, I know I won’t go through with it.” He is speaking softly. The onlookers are no longer able to hear their conversation. “Can we take this outside?”_

_Bayley wipes at her eyes, before picking up her purse and nodding, signaling for Gabe to follow. He places some money on the table without counting it and leads the way towards the exit. She can hear the murmurs and feel the eyes on her as she does the walk of shame. Random people are shouting at her; “If he doesn’t want you, I’m available baby!” “You can do better sweetheart.” “Is that Bayley?” She sinks lower into herself after that comment, embarrassed people in the restaurant recognize her. When they reach outside, Gabe finally looks at her._

_“You want to know why?” There’s malice to his voice. Bayley flinches. He doesn’t speak. He just pulls out his phone, pulls something up, and hands it to her. On the screen is a photo of her and Finn from an NXT house show. She recognizes the night. It’s when he broke his leg and was on crutches and she attempted to make him feel better by doing his entrance. The photo she is looking at was taken at the moment they were rolling around on the floor of the ring._

_Bayley looks gutted. They’ve had this conversation a million times. She is doing her job. Nothing is going on between her and Finn Balor. “Gabe, we’ve talked about this.”_

_“I know we have. That’s why I’m doing this. Because I don’t believe you and I don’t want to look like a fool.”_

_Now._

Bayley wakes before Sasha. Looking over at the clock she sees that it’s still early; 6:07 am. Not tired enough to fall back asleep, she pulls the covers off, grabs some clothes out of her suitcase, and carefully makes her way to the bathroom. Catching a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror, she sighs. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying herself to sleep. She’s lucky Sasha is a heavy sleeper. Tearing her gaze away from the mirror, she turns her attention to the sweatpants and t-shirt she pulled from her bag. Since she can’t sleep, she is going to use her anger and sadness to fuel a morning run. Grabbing her cellphone, headphones, and room key, she heads out the door. 

Fortunately for Bayley, the hotel gym is empty. She claims the treadmill farthest from the door and allows herself to get lost in her music, so she isn’t thinking about the pain she’s in. She doesn’t know why she dreamt about that night. She hasn’t had that dream in years. But she figures it’s something to do with the letter and reuniting with Finn and everything just coming back up. He doesn’t know he’s the reason Gabe dumped her. She couldn’t put that guilt on him. She hasn’t told anyone the actual reason although she thinks Sasha figured it out years ago when after it happened, she started distancing herself from him. It was made easier by the fact he got called up to the main roster and she was still on NXT. It wasn’t until they were paired together for the mixed match challenge that she started speaking to him again. She didn’t resent him per se, but it was his idea for that NXT “crush” angle. 

She sees the door to the gym open. Not sure who else would be up at this time, she’s surprised when Seth Rollins sets his gym bag down by the door. 

Realizing he is speaking to her; she pauses her music and removes one Air Pod from her ear. “I’m sorry what was that?”

“I said fancy seeing you here. I thought you were on Smackdown until after Summer Slam?” He said this without looking at her; his attention on the bag he was currently rifling through. 

“I am. Just keeping Sasha company. Still unorganized I see?” She turns the treadmill off and points at the bag he is still sifting through. 

“Heh. Yeah. Some things don’t change.” Standing to face her she notices the water bottle in his hand. “The bag is only so big. It shouldn’t take that long to find something in there.” 

“It wouldn’t if you didn’t just throw everything in there.” 

“We can’t all be perfect.” Seth winks. He makes his way over to the treadmill beside Bayley and takes a sip of his water. 

“Tired already?” 

Seth raises his eyebrow at her. “Is that a challenge?” Bayley doesn’t answer. Seth knows it is. When they used to train together, it was a question he asked her whenever he wanted her to push herself. And it would work because she couldn’t let Seth beat her. Someone had to knock him down a peg; might as well be her so she could get some entertainment out of it. She puts her Air Pod back in her ear and turns on the treadmill. “Oh, you’re on. Loser has to buy breakfast.”

“What’s that can’t hear you?” She shouts even though there is no music currently playing. Seth laughs because he knows her game. He turns on his treadmill, making sure to match her speed. He tries to keep his focus forward, but he keeps stealing glances her way. There’s something off about her. She’s less focused. Missing her smile. Her eyes blank, void of their usual shine. Normally, by now, they would be exchanging insults, hoping to say one ridiculous enough that the other loses focus. Whatever is bothering her must be big if she is not taking every opportunity to rib him. 

_Then._

_“Ladies and gentlemen, your winner, and still the UNO Champion of the world, Seth Rollins!” Bayley looks around at all her friends in the room. Many of them left hours ago because they got annoyed Seth kept winning every round. They are adamant he is cheating, but Bayley knows Seth is truly a genius at the game of UNO. It is the one game she has never beaten him at, and he never lets her forget it. All that remains in his hotel are him, her, Roman, and Carmella. Roman who has no choice because it’s his room too, Carmella who just loves a good party, and Bayley who feels obligated because the only reason they had this get-together was because Sasha and Finn were tired of her mopping around. And she understands. It’s not fun being around someone who complains all day long. She’s trying to get better. But if she is being honest with herself, she could try harder. And she’ll start with something that never fails to bring a smile to her face, mocking Seth._

_“Wow, congratulations. You’re the champion of a game that’s all luck. You would be good at something that doesn’t require you to think.” Roman chokes on the water he is drinking, and Carmella lets out one of her infamous snorts._

_“Girl, UNO requires skill. It’s like 80% skill, 20% luck.”_

_“Reverse that,” Roman comments with a chuckle as he stands to lead Carmella to the door. “No pun intended.” Carmella snorts again. Seth just rolls his eyes as Roman opens the door to escort Carmella to her room. She’s a little tipsy. Reaching into her pocket, it hits her. Sasha left earlier and took their hotel key with her. She didn’t bring hers because she figured they would leave at the same time._

_“Shit.”_

_“Everything okay?” Seth asks. He knows about what happened. Pretty much everyone does. It’s why they all agreed to game night instead of going out to their usual late-night hangouts._

_“Sasha has our room key and we both know how heavy of a sleeper she is. If I go bang on the door everyone on the floor but she will hear me.”_

_Seth chuckles. He knows it’s true. “Just stay here. Sleepover! You can have my bed. I’ll take the floor.” He heads over to the closet to grab some spare blankets. “And before you go on about me not having to do it, don’t. It is not that big of a deal.”_

_“But- “_

_“What did I say?”_

_“Wow, even when you’re nice you’re a dick.” She says as she gets into the bed. Luckily for her, she wore comfortable clothes that night._

_“Just shut up and go to bed.” About five minutes later she hears a loud thump accompanied by the words “Fuck” and “Ouch.”_

_“Watch where you’re going!”_

_“Well, why the fuck are you asleep in the middle of the floor?”_

_For the first time in a while, she falls asleep to the sound of laughter and not tears._

Now.

“You only won because I was running for like ten minutes before you came in.” 

“Sure. Keep making excuses. Or you can just admit I’m better.” 

“Yeah, never going to happen.”

Unfortunately for Bayley, Seth won. She isn’t mad, just annoyed because Seth has spent the last fifteen minutes rubbing it in. But she lets him have his moment, because usually she ends up victorious, and does the same thing to him. Now she knows how annoying it is. Karma’s a bitch. “Hey, guys. Are we ready to order?” They are currently sitting in a booth in the back corner of a local diner. She shouldn’t be surprised this is the place he chose; she remembers reading an interview in some big-name magazine that he enjoys places like this.

“I’ll think I’ll just take the breakfast special.” Bayley smiles, handing over the menu to their waitress, “Nicole,” her name tag reads. 

“I’ll have the same,” Seth replies, following suit and handing over the menu. The waitress smiles at him, a gesture she did not do for Bayley. She rolls her eyes. It’s obvious the waitress has been flirting with him. To his credit, Seth has been behaving and not playing along, but she isn’t sure how long he will last. 

“So, why are you really here?” he asks once Nicole takes their menus and leaves to put in their orders. She shouldn’t be shocked. She knew the question was coming. She just didn’t know he would jump right into it, but then again subtly is not one of Seth’s strong suits. Sighing, she tells him about the invitation and Sasha’s generosity in letting her tag along. She tells him about her feelings and how hurt she is; how Gabe getting married makes it official he will never come back to her. 

He should have known. Gabe is the only person with enough power over her to make her lose her smile. Remembering how upset she was when he broke up with her, his grip on his fork involuntarily tightens. If he ever sees him again, he is going to kick his ass. Realizing Bayley is just staring at him because he hasn’t spoken, he opens his mouth to comfort her but is interrupted by a timid “Excuse me” coming from behind him. Observing the way Bayley’s face miraculously transforms into a smile he knows it is a small child. 

“Hey, buddy!” Bayley chirps. Unlike other superstars, being interrupted in public does not bother her as much; especially when it involves a child. As someone who was a young fan, she understands how intimidating it can be for a child to speak to their hero and recognizes how much bravery it requires. “What’s your name?”

“Michael.” His voice is louder and steadier. 

“Well hello, Michael! How are you?” Seth tunes out their conversation, not hearing his answer; not because he doesn’t care, but because he is in awe at how quickly Bayley was able to change her demeanor. The woman is hurting, but she is still making time for fans. The majority of superstars, including him if he were alone, probably would have ignored the child if they were upset. But not her. She always puts other people first. And while he admires that about her, she also needs to recognize that it is okay to put your needs first. It isn’t selfish. 

“Seth,” Bayley quietly hisses as she kicks him under the table to get his attention. “Picture?”

Embarrassed he was caught with his mind elsewhere, he quickly returns his attention to Michael. “Of course.” Michael smiles at him and he returns it. The young boy waves over a woman, who appears to be his mother. Seth puts his arms over his shoulder, brushing against Bayley’s arms in the process, who simultaneously began engulfing the boy in a hug. Instinctively he extends his reach to place his arm on Bayley’s shoulder. She doesn’t flinch. 

“Thank you!” Michael exclaims as his mother shows him the picture on her phone as they walk away. Not wanting to interrupt the meeting, Nicole arrives with their breakfast after the child leaves. 

“Enjoy. Let me know if you need anything.” She winks at Seth before turning on her heels and helping the next table. Bayley and Seth share a look before they burst out laughing, garnering looks from everyone in the diner. Forgetting the conversation that was interrupted, the two eat their breakfast, occasionally letting out a snicker when Nicole comes to check on their table, completely ignoring Bayley while ogling over Seth. To no one’s surprise, she leaves her number on the receipt. 

_Then._

_In a strange turn of events, Roman is awake before Seth. He carefully slips out of bed, remembering that Seth slept on the floor last night, only to find the floor vacant. Rubbing his eyes, he looks over to his best friend’s bed to find it occupied by both Bayley and Seth. He must have joined her sometime throughout the night. He debates waking them, ultimately deciding to let them sleep because they look so peaceful. Bayley is curled against Seth; his hand is around her waist and their legs are intertwined. It looks innocent enough. He doubts anything other than cuddling occurred last night. Trying to be quiet so he won’t wake them, he slips into the bathroom to shower._

_Despite his best efforts, Seth wakes up when the bathroom door closes. At first, he is taken back by the other occupant in his bed, but then he remembers. He woke up in the middle of the night to find Bayley sitting in the lone chair of the room, the blinds slightly ajar, staring into the night. When she looked over, he could tell she had been crying. She told him to take the bed because she wasn’t sleeping, and it was pointless for it to go unused. Unsure how to handle the situation, he made his way over to her and pulled her close, allowing her to cry into his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair and just held her until she stopped. “We can share,” he said before climbing into the bed and quietly signaling for her to follow. It was innocent. A friend being there for another friend. At least that is what he would continue to tell himself._

_Bayley stirs under him turning to face him with a smile. “Good. You guys are up,” Roman exclaimed when he steps out of the bathroom. “Get dressed we’re getting free breakfast. The special today is French Toast.”_

Now.

When Bayley returns to the room, Sasha is in the shower. Sniffing herself and realizing she needs one as well because she went straight to the diner with Seth, she knocks on the bathroom door. “Hurry up in there!” 

“Don’t rush me!” Sasha barks back, but Bayley smiles as she hears the water turn off anyway. “Where were you?” She asks as she steps out of the bathroom wearing jeans and a black tank. Debating on how much to tell her, Bayley pauses for a moment before answering. 

“I couldn’t sleep so I went to the gym. I ran into Seth while I was there, and we grabbed breakfast afterward.” 

“Damn Bayley. I wouldn’t have brought you if I knew you were going to use our road trip as a hunting ground.” 

Bayley coughs, choking on the water she is drinking. “It’s uh not like that,” she sputters frantically, eyes getting big. “It was just two old friends catching up.” She blushes. 

“Chill girl. I’m kidding.” She drops the subject, but not before making a mental note of Bayley’s defensive reaction. Feeling satisfied with the end of the conversation, Bayley grabs her things and turns on the shower, getting ready to join Sasha at the arena for the RAW showing today.


	3. The Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bayley wakes, entangled with someone else’s body. An arm is wrapped tight around her waist, pulling her close, and their legs are intertwined. Her head is throbbing. She cranes her neck to catch a glimpse of the man’s face, but to no avail. She can’t move her body enough. Instead, she brings her gaze down to her body. She is dressed, not in her own clothes, but in a large t-shirt with a design she recognizes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the delay. This chapter is a little longer to make up for it. Also I may go back and edit it at some point, but I wanted to get a new chapter out for you guys. This is where the story/drama starts picking up. Onward!

**Chapter 3: The Recovery**

_Then._

" _Are you sure you're ready for this?" Carmella asks while zipping the back of Bayley's dress. Selfishly, she's excited Bayley has finally stopped sulking. Her depressing attitude has been dragging her down. Bayley might not personally be ready, but Carmella has been pushing her to do this, and she considers this a win._

" _No, but it's time. Game nights with Seth aren't fun anymore." The last one they had ended up with Seth and Sami exchanging blows._

" _They were never fun. There. You look hot girl." She spins Bayley around, so she's facing the bathroom mirror. A smile graces her friend's lips. Not the trademarked Bayley smile, but not a fake one either._

" _Who is all coming?" Bayley asks, running her fingers through her hair. She agreed to go out with Carmella on the condition the whole locker room wouldn't be joining them. She promised it would just be a few personal friends, but last time Carmella made that promise, her "small" birthday outing consisted of at least forty people._

" _Oh, you know, the norm." Bayley raises her eyebrow at Carmella, and she laughs. "I'm serious. The other horsewomen, Seth, Roman, Finn, and Sami." She lists the names using her fingers._

" _Well, that's not too..."_

" _And the IIconics, Owens, Dolph, Mandy, and Sonya," she continues counting on her fingers._

" _Carmella!"_

" _Chill. Don't get your panties in a bunch. I'm kidding. Now let's go." And with that, they headed out the door._

Now.

Bayley looks around at the scene before her and smiles. Carmella and Sasha are on fire in the middle of the dance floor. Everyone's eyes are on them as they grind against each other, their dresses revealing just enough to leave room for the imagination. Seth and Roman are in the corner of the room, quietly arguing over what she assumed was their darts game. Finn and Sami are trying and failing to get the bartender's attention to order another round of shots to her left. She laughs. She's missed this. Being happy; spending time with her friends. Seeing them backstage at the show had been nice, but conversations were short and to the point because they all had been so busy. Bayley wanted to go back to her room after the show, but Carmella and Sasha practically dressed her and forced her out the door, which she is grateful for.

"C'mon Bayley. Don't just sit there staring at us. Get the attention of the bartender!" She glances over at Sami to see him scowling. She turns her attention to the bartender. He is a younger aged gentleman; good-looking with scruffy brown hair and brown eyes to match. His face is clean-shaven, and when he smiles, Bayley notices the dimples. He is serving a group of younger women, who, unlike Carmella and Sasha, are leaving nothing to the imagination.

"What makes you think I can get his attention?" But she knows the answer. She is a woman. She turns her attention back to the bartender and starts waving her hands around. The bartender catches a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye and leaves the group of young women to make his way over to Bayley, seated at the opposite end of the bar.

"What can I do for ya?" His smile causes her to blush.

"My friends here would like some shots," she speaks, pointing to Sami and Finn in the process. His face falls, but he turns to the two guys to serve them. Finn nods at her in appreciation, and she returns his silent thanks with a small smile. Turning her attention back to her drink, she chugs it down and gently sets it down on the bar when she's finished. Looking for her friends, she notices Carmella and Sasha joined on the dance floor by Becky and Charlotte. Seth and Roman are no longer by the dartboards. Before she can search for them in the crowd, she "yelps" when a hand pinches her side. Her hand flies out defensively, and she realizes too late that the nose her hand is about to connect with is Seth's.

"God damn it, Bayley!" His voice is loud, but she knows he is not angry because he starts laughing.

"I'm sorry! Why would you do that?" She quickly removes his hands from his nose and places her hands on his face to study it. There is no blood, but it will probably be bruised and swollen in the morning. His left eye, however, is already starting to discolor. She runs her thumb over it, and he flinches.

"I lost the darts game. Roman dared me." He shrugs nonchalantly like that was the most obvious explanation in the world. To his credit, that should have been her first guess.

"Well, you can't just sneak up on a girl like that in a bar."

"Yeah, you made that very clear." She can tell he is drunk. The alcohol smell on his breath gives it away. He is staring intently at her, his eyes never leaving hers. Never blinking. There's a foreign feeling in the pit of her stomach. One she hasn't felt in a long time. "Are you going to let go of my face, or am I going to be stuck here all night?" He speaks barely above a whisper. She blushes and releases her hands, embarrassed she forgot they were there. They both step backward, breaking the magnetic force that was previously pushing them together. Her attention is drawn to the dance floor when she hears Roman's laughter echoing down to them. He must have spotted Bayley hitting Seth in the face, leaving him with a black eye, precisely as he predicted.

"I'm sorry," she repeats. "What can I do to make it up to you?"

His response catches her off guard. "You can dance with me." He offers out his hand, which she reluctantly takes, and leads her out to the dance floor. The floor is crowded, so her only option is to dance against his chest. After their encounter at the bar, she wants to avoid looking him in the eye, but she also wants to prevent pressing her ass against him. Before she can decide which way to face, his arms wrap around her waist, and he places his chin on her shoulder. He starts swaying lightly to the music, causing her to move with him. The hair on her neck stands up when she feels his breath. The feeling in her stomach returns.

She always thought Seth was an attractive guy, but she never had feelings for him. He's Seth, for god's sake. The guy she enjoys picking on. The guy who always annoys her. So why is her heart beating out of her chest? Why is her stomach doing flips? She tells herself it's the alcohol. That it's natural to feel this way after being alone for so long, but she cannot convince herself. That's probably why she lets out a moan when his lips bite her ear. And then her neck. His grip around her waist tightens, and she leans into him, closing her eyes. She is oblivious to everyone around her. She isn't aware all eyes are on them or that Finn is standing by the bar, drink in hand, with a scowl on his face.

"You want to go somewhere more private?" Seth whispers in her ear, and her heart drops. Her throat is dry. She can't force herself to speak. She just slips her hand into his as a sign to lead the way.

_Then._

_"Jealousy is not a good look on you."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"You haven't taken your eyes off of Bayley all night." Finn chugs the rest of his beer and slams it down on the bar. He's been caught; he has been staring at her all night. "Well, can you blame me? Look at her." He points to where she is dancing with a stranger in the middle of the club. Noticing him, Bayley waves before returning her attention to the man she met fifteen minutes ago._

_"You know she's single now, right? Make your move, man." The bartender places another beer in front of him. He didn't order it—Sami must-have._

_"Isn't that in poor taste? You don't think it's too soon?" He picks the beer up, slowly sipping it this time._

_"Dude. You've been in love with her forever. Trust me; it's been too long ever to be too soon."_

_"That doesn't even make sense."_

_"You know what I'm trying to say." And he does. Finn has been in love with Bayley for a while now. But he respects her too much and can't bring himself to swoop in when she is heartbroken and hurting. He's not that guy to take advantage. "If you don't make your move soon, you are going to be on the sideline forever._

_Now._

Bayley wakes, entangled with someone else's body. An arm is wrapped tight around her waist, pulling her close, and their legs are intertwined. Her head is throbbing. She cranes her neck to catch a glimpse of the man's face, but to no avail. She can't move her body enough. Instead, she brings her gaze down to her body. She is dressed, not in her own clothes, but in a large t-shirt with a design she recognizes. The man cuddled against her is Seth; the memories from last night come flooding back to her. They didn't sleep together. Well, they did, but not in that way. She remembers coming back to his room and making out with him for a bit before they both passed out. She would be lying if she said she isn't relieved it didn't go any further.

Seth stirs next to her. "Good morning, beautiful." He kisses the back of her neck. The kiss is different from the one's last night; gentler. "Want some breakfast?" She nods, but he doesn't move, their bodies still intertwined. It has been a long time since she woke in a man's arms, and it feels right. He snuggles closer, and even though she can feel his heat, there are goosebumps on her arms. "Guess we need to get up, huh?" Her heart sinks when he removes his arm from around her waist, untangling their bodies in the process. "The hotel has continental breakfast; I figured we can just go downstairs and eat." Suddenly, panic hits her; her heart starts racing, and her palms feel sweaty. She is positive some co-workers saw her leave with him last night, but what would they think if they showed up to breakfast together the next morning?

"Are you okay?" Seth asks, sensing something is wrong. He has known Bayley long enough to recognize her telltale signs of discomfort. The woman who only moments earlier felt so relaxed in his embrace is long gone. Now, her shoulders are tense, eyes wide, and her eyebrows are scrunched in confusion.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I just... I need to shower first. And take off this makeup. By that time, breakfast will be over." She's rambling. She hopes he buys her excuse. It's not that she's too ashamed to be seen in public with him; she literally just had breakfast with him yesterday morning. She's madder at herself – for allowing herself to let go and "hook up" with a co-worker. Wrestlers are like high schoolers; gossip spreads faster than wildfire, and dirt sheets do not care about publishing the truth – they just want views. She will know she did not sleep with Seth, but that's the word that will go around.

"Or I can order room service?" He asks with a raised eyebrow. She realizes he is giving her an out. He does know what her concerns are.

"I'd like that."

"You can shower here. I'll lay some sweatpants and a t-shirt out for you."

"Thank you," she softly smiles as she makes her way to the bathroom. "Fuck," she mumbles when she sees herself in the mirror. Seth left love bites on her neck. How was she supposed to explain that to Sasha? She sighs and turns on the water, testing to ensure it is scolding before she steps inside.

About five minutes into her shower, she overhears Seth talking to someone. Initially, she assumed he was on the phone with room service, but she recognizes the voice as it gets louder. Roman. The fact that he usually shares a hotel room with Seth when they travel wholly slipped her mind. Did he come home last night? Did he see them? It wouldn't be the first time Roman walked in on the two sharing a bed, but this time it felt different, and she worries he could sense that too. She tries to listen to their conversation, but it is hard to hear them over the running water. She can only make out bits and pieces, but from what she gathers, Roman did come home last night, and he knows Bayley is the person currently occupying their shower. Realizing she can't hide out in the shower forever, even though she _really_ wants to, she shuts the water off, dries herself off, and changes into the clothes Seth left out for her. "Well, here goes nothing," she mumbles to herself as she tentatively grabs hold of the handle, slowly turning it to open the door.

She is greeted with a loud, chirping "Good morning!" from Roman. He is currently seated at the recliner by the window, drinking coffee. Black, she notes. Seth groans, grabbing her attention. She shifts her gaze towards the bed she earlier occupied to discover him sitting on the edge with his head in his hands, obviously hungover. Even though he looks a mess, she still finds herself smiling at his appearance. His hair was down and frizzy, currently going in every direction while his face was scrunched into an annoyed look.

"Must you be so loud?" He grunts in response, placing his arms behind him to lean back, getting a better vantage point of the man he is talking to. As he does so, his shirt rides up, revealing part of his body. Her stomach flutters, and she can't help but think to herself that feeling is ridiculous—he wrestlers shirtless every week. But there's something scandalous about stealing stolen glances.

"That's the same exact question I asked last night."

Bayley's mouth fell open. She could feel her cheeks heat up. From her peripheral vision, she noticed Seth shoot up, suddenly forgetting he was hungover. "Roman! Dude! Don't talk like that in front of Bayley; you're embarrassing her!"

At that, both men glance at her, her cheeks becoming even redder as if it were even possible. She wraps both arms around her body, sinking into herself, attempting to make herself as small as possible, silently hoping she will just disappear. She is saved from the awkwardness by a knock on the door and a booming voice announcing room service had arrived. When Seth gets up to answer the door, she turns to Roman. "Was I… Did we really?" She asks, clearly flustered as she panickily motions between Seth and herself.

"No," he replies softly, smiling at her. Mocking Seth is one thing. That is the kind of relationship the two boys have. But, unfortunately, he does not have that relationship with Bayley. The two are friends, but they have never spent one on one time together. Whenever they hang out, it's always in the presence of Seth. "I should go," she blurts out just as Seth finished laying out their breakfast.

"But we haven't had breakfast yet."

"Sasha is probably worried. I just realized my phone died last night, and she has probably been trying to get ahold of me. I have no way to contact her."

"Just eat first. You can use my phone."

"No that's okay I'm not hungry. Thanks for the hospitality." She quickly makes her way to the door, closing it behind her without turning back. Rushing towards the elevator, she repeatedly presses the down arrow, hoping that her insistence makes it come faster. After what feels like forever, but was really only about a minute, the doors open, and she rushes in, bumping into the person simultaneously attempting to exit the elevator.

_Then._

_"I'm fine," Bayley whines. "You didn't need to bring me back to my room. I would have made it."_

_"Somehow I doubt that" Finn mumbles under his breath. His hand is wrapped around Bayley's waist, and she's leaning against his side; Finn carrying all her weight. He blames Carmella for his current predicament. She kept buying the young woman next to him shots, encouraging her to drown all her sorrows and hit on every guy at the bar. If he didn't step in, there's no telling how far she would have taken it. And Finn knows Bayley would have regretted it in the morning. He probably said a few words to Carmella that he shouldn't have before leaving the bar with Bayley, but he will apologize later, once he knows Bayley is safe._

_"This is me!" She giggles, poking him in the side once they reach her room. "My key. I don't know where it is."_

_"It's right here," he replies as he pulls it out of his coat pocket, slipping the card into the slot in the door, waiting for the red light to turn green, signifying the door is unlocked. Once it changes color, he opens the door, using his foot to keep it open, before ushering Bayley inside. He sits her down on the bed. "Stay still," he commands as he kneels down to take off her shoes – first the right, then the left. After successfully removing them, taking way longer than necessary because she would not stop kicking her legs, he heads towards the bathroom, grabbing her makeup wipes off the counter. During their time in NXT, he remembers that she hates sleeping with her makeup on because it breaks her face out. He starts dabbing her face, and Bayley laughs._

_"You have to press harder than that if you want all this to come off." She motions towards her face. He sighs but applies more pressure. While not removing it all, he's satisfied he got enough of it and tosses the wipes into the trash._

_"Now lay down. And go to sleep."_

_"You expect me," she points at herself, "to sleep in this?" She then points to her dress. "Not happening. Grab me a t-shirt and shorts out of the top drawer." Sighing again, he gets up from the bed, makes his way towards her dresser, pulls out the first clothes he finds and tosses them to her. "That's funny. You think I can get this dress of myself. I need help. Unzip me, please?" She stands, slightly swaying, and turns, so her back is facing him._

_He hesitates. "I don't really…"_

_"Just do it," she whines. "I can't."_

_"You're going to be the death of me." But he unzips the dress, his fingers brushing across her back as he does so. The zipper ends right before he reaches her ass, and he can't decide whether he is relieved or disappointed. She puts on the shirt then shimmies out of the rest of her dress, dropping it to the floor. "Now. Bed." He instructs, struggling to avert his eyes. The t-shirt is shorter than the dress._

_"Okay, bossy." After climbing into bed, she asks if he can tuck her in, which he does because he can't resist her. "Thank you for being a great friend, Finn." She dozes off to sleep, and his heartbreaks. Friend._

Now.

"Hi Finn." Bayley smiles, not quite reaching her eyes. "Sorry, was that your floor?" She questions. Because she rushed into the elevator so quick, he missed getting out and is now stuck taking it back down with her.

"Yes, but it's okay. He laughs but stops when he notices the sadness in her eyes. They are watery like tears are threatening to fall, but she's holding them back. "Why the hurry?" This time his voice is gentler, laced with concern.

"I'm supposed to be meeting Carmella for breakfast. And I'm late. You know how she is about punctuality." He knows she's lying because he just finished having breakfast with Sami, and they ran into Carmella and Sasha, who said they hadn't heard from her all night. Since he saw her leave with Seth, he reminds himself. For the first time since she joined him in the elevator, he takes in her appearance, realizing the clothes she's wearing are not hers. Noticing his eyes traveling across her body, she knows she's been caught. She completely forgot she was wearing his clothes when she hastily left his room moments earlier.

He is angry. His mind jumps to all sorts of conclusions. The worst is that Seth took advantage of Bayley in her emotionally broken state. His face must have given away his anger because he feels a gentle, soothing touch on his arm. "Look, nothing happened, okay? But can you like, keep this between us?"

"Of course," he responds, wrapping her into a tight hug. He will do anything to make her happy, including admiring her from afar.

"Thank you." A slight pause and then, "But I really haven't had breakfast. Will you go with me?" He lets out a laugh and follows her out of the elevator to have a second breakfast. She didn't have to know that.


End file.
